Hollow partition between premixing and combustion chambers for rockets



May 1, 1951 R. H. GODDARD HOLLOW PARTITION BETWEEN PREMIXING ANDCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS FOR ROCKETS Filed Jan. 6, 1950 2 p 25 SPARK' PLUG INVENT 0R. ROBERT fl. 6000nRn,Dc/1sED. BY [ax/1m C. 6000mm, fxscurmx.

l atented May 1, 1951 HOLLOW PARTITION ING AND COMBUSTION CHAMBERS FORROCKETS BETWEEN PREMIX- Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

Md., by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass, assignor ofone-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application January 6, 1950, Serial No.137,112

1 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to combustion apparatus particularly adapted foruse in rockets and in other similarly propelled mechanisms, and is acontinuation-in-part of prior application Serial No. 694,921, filedSeptember 5, 1946.

It is the general object of the invention to provide improved means foreffectively premixing two combustion elements before they enter thecombustion space.

A further object is to provide a construction in which a liquid fuel anda liquid oxidizer are sprayed into a premixing chamber, and in whichadditional oxidizer is added to the more or less completely vaporizedmixture as it passes through a series of perforated or perviouspartitions. Provision is also made for substantially uniformdistribution of the additional oxidizer.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereparatus is shown which comprises a combustion chamberportion C and a premixing chamber portion 0'. The chamber portions 0 andC are enclosed by a chamber casing l0, and the casing It is mountedwithin a jacket casing II which defines jacket spaces S and S, separatedby longitudinal partitions I2.

Liquid fuel is fed to the jacket space S through a supply pipe 14, andliquid oxidizer is fed to the space S through a supply pipe I5. The fueland oxidizer flow rearward along the spaces S and S to the rear orclosed end I6 of the premixing chamber portion C. The liquids are thensprayed into the chamber portion C through a 2 precipitated copper maybe sintered together by heat to produce a satisfactory porous partition.

A hollow partition 22 is mounted adjacent certain of the perforatedpartitions and comprises a hollow disc having a plurality of relativelylarge transverse openings 24 through which the more or less vaporizedmixture maypass.

Additional and more or less vaporized oxidizer is fed to the hollowpartition22 through a volute 25 from a supply pipe 26. The volute may bepositioned in the jacket spaces S and S, as shown in Fig. 1, and thefront and rear portions of the spaces may be connected by outwardlyprojecting passages and 30a, (Fig. 2).

A multiplicity of fine perforations 32 are formed in the face of thehollow partition 22 which is nearer the combustion chamber portion C,and these perforations 32 may be grouped about the openings 2t as shownin Fig. 2.

The side walls of the hollow partition 22 may be concave to decrease thewidth of the enclosed space toward the axis and to thus equalize therate of radial flow of the oxidizer.

As the more or less completely vaporized mixture passes through thescreens 20 and through the openings 24 in the hollow partition 22,additional oxidizer is added through the numerous small perforations 32.The intermingled fuel and oxidizer mixture then passes through a furthermixing partition 4|]. This partition all may be formed as indicated inFig. 4, and may comprise a relatively thick disc of metal having amultiplicity of fine holes or perforations 4| extending through themetal. Such a disc may be conveniently made by including fine filamentsin a cast metal disc and thereafter dissolving out the filaments.

As the thoroughly mixed and intermingled combustion gases and vapors,enter the chamber portion C, they may be initially ignited by anysuitable ignition device suchas a spark-plug 44 (Fig. 1). Continuouscombustion will thereafter take place.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1except that the screens 50, the hollow partition 52 and the perforatedpartition 5A are all curved to focus the mixed combustion elements atthe point F, and the walls 56 of the chamber portion C2 are contractedto conform to the path of travel of thecombustion mixture. Otherwise theconstruction and operation is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and aspreviously described.

- With the construction shown and described, very effective premixingand vaporization of the invention is not to be limited to the details 7herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what isclaimed is:

1. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a combustionportion and a premixing portion, partition means separating saidportions but permitting mixed combustion elements to pass therethrough,a cooling jacket enclosing said combustion chamber, means to feed twocombustion liquids to separate spaces in said jacket, means to spraysaid combustion liquids from said jacket spaces into said premixingportion, a hollow disc in said partition means provided with a pluralityof traversing passages therethrough for the combustion mixture and witha plurality of feeding perforations opening from the interior of saiddisc toward said combustion portion, and means to supply additionaloxidizer to said disc and through said perforations to said combustionmixture as it passes through said disc to said combustion portion, andsaid hollow disc having concave outer faces which progressively reducethe width of the hollow space within said disc toward the axis thereofto facilitate uniform flow therein.

2. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a combustionportion and a premixing portion, partition means separating saidportions but permitting mixed combustion elements to pass therethrough,a cooling jacket enclosing said combustion chamber, means to feed twocombustion liquids to separate spaces in said jacket, means to spraysaid combustion liquids from said jacket spaces into said premixingportion, a hollow disc in said partition means provided with a pluralityof traversing passages therethrough for the combustion mixture and witha plurality of feeding perforations opening from the interior of saiddisc toward said combustion portion, and means to supply additionaloxidizer to said disc and through said perforations to said combustionmixture as it passes through said disc to said combustion portion, andsaid hollow disc having a plurality of said feeding perforationssurrounding each mixture passage traversing said disc.

3. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a combustionportion and a premixing portion, partition means separating saidportions but permitting mixed combustion elements to pass therethrough,a cooling jacket enclosing said combustion chamber, means to feed twocombustion liquids to separate spaces in said jacket, means to spraysaid combustion liquids from said jacket spaces into said premixingportion, a hollow disc in said partition means provided with a pluralityof traversing passages therethrough for the combustion mixture and witha plurality of feedin perforations opening from the interior of saiddisc toward said combustion portion, means to supply additional oxidizerto said disc and through said perforations to said combustion mixture asit passes through said disc to said combustion portion, and a supplypipe which is connected to said hollow disc by an encircling volutewhich equalizes the feed about said disc.

4. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having a combustionportion and a premixing portion, partition means separating saidportions but permitting mixed combustion elements to pass therethrough,a coolin jacket enclosing said combustion chamber, means to feed twocombustion liquids to separate spaces in said jacket, means to spraysaid combustion liquids from said jacket spaces into said preinixingportion, a hollow disc in said partition means provided with a pluralityof traversing passages therethrough for the combustion mixture and witha plurality of feeding perforations opening from the interior of saiddisc toward said combustion portion, and means to supply additionaloxidizer to said disc and through said perforations to said combustionmixture as it passes through said disc to said combustion portion, andthe partition means and associated hollow disc being concave on theirdischarge side and directing the combustion mixture to a focal point inthe combustion portion of said chamber.

ESTHER C. GODDARD. Emecutrix of the Last Will and Testament of Robert H.Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,236,793 Warman Aug. 14, 19172,192,615 Mayer Mar. 5, 1940 2,397,834 Bowman Apr. 2, 1946

